Superheroes come to the rescue of Thailand’s Buddhist temples

Superheroes are coming to the rescue of Thailand’s temples, where monks have commissioned giant statues of comic book icons and toy robots to entertain children while parents donate to their coffers.

Instead of the traditional tranquil Buddhas and mythical beasts that adorn most monasteries in the land, the shimmering Wat Ta Kien temple outside Bangkok is guarded by three towering Transformer robots.

The enormous and intricate sculptures, made from bits of scrap metal and painted bright orange, yellow and blue, “have no spiritual purpose”, explained monk Pra Vichien.

“It’s for children so they won’t get bored when they come to the temple with their parents,” he said.

Other temples are following suit in a country whose monasteries compete to draw visitors and keep donations flowing.